Employee Training – A MUST at any Facility

Contrary to popular belief, there is no such thing as common sense. “Common sense” isn’t so common. Each person has their own life experiences; therefore, people react to their environment accordingly. Training helps to create an objective work environment and takes the guess work out. Whether you have new employees, are adding or changing a process, or are addressing an internal error – training helps define companies’ unique expectations. Training is essential to any business type!

There’s a slew of benefits when it comes to properly training employees – training is made effective when paired with appropriate training methods.

Which cGMP Nonconformances are Common?

Think of training as a way to protect your business. Staff education can reduce a company’s liability by reducing risk. By training staff on worker safety, product safety, and product quality and consistency, a business’s likelihood of a safety issue or product recall decreases. Employee training is not just best practice, many times it is a requirement. There are a few different layers of regulatory expectations to consider: Meeting federal, state, and certification training requirements.

OSHA’s statement on training: “Training in the safe way for workers to do their jobs well is an investment that will pay back over and over again in fewer injuries and illnesses, better morale, lower insurance premiums and more.”

Employers are expected to train their staff, especially when it comes to worker safety training. In fact, this is a federal requirement. OSHA requires health and safety program implementation along with evidence of training. For example, employers are expected to train their staff on the dangers of their workplace – this includes training on handling chemicals, how to properly wear a respirator, solvent transfilling, etc. Unfortunately, Allay has seen many founded OSHA complaints based on lack of training. Prevent a costly OSHA violation by training your staff on worker safety. Aside from federal training requirements, many states have training requirements established in their regulations.

Many states regulating cannabis require employees to be trained on how to safely handle pesticides and other agricultural chemicals, how to safely handle edible products, and how to adhere to general standard operating procedures. States want to see your employees set up for success to support both worker safety and consumer safety. In addition to state training requirements, most certifying companies have their own employee training standards to meet.

Certifications like cGMP, Organic, GACP, ISO9001, etc. all require verification of extensive training. Companies who are already certified or looking to be certified know that training is a common component across certifying companies. Training not only ensures that all employees are on the same page, but it also promotes product consistency and quality amongst product lines. Fostering product consistency and quality reduces likelihood of a recall and increases customer satisfaction.

Training & Recidivism

One unexpected benefit we have noticed for clients who have established an ongoing training program is that it results in longer retention among employees. Training gives the employer an opportunity to establish expectations and setting expectations leaves the guess work out for employees, leaving employees happier. This is a great time for the trainees to ask questions and understand the “whys” behind company expectations. Generally, employees want to perform their job duties well, and a solid training program provides employees with the tools and confidence they need.

Methods of Training

Employees are people, and people are unique individuals. Each of us learn in various ways. Some may learn better by pictures or video, others may retain knowledge better by actually completing the task or even by reading instructions. We are all so different! Catering to an individual’s unique needs is difficult, but is worth the extra effort.

Regardless of the training method, the most important aspect to training is to create a neutral experience. A neutral training experience paves way for trainees to feel more comfortable and may allow for better knowledge retention. Assessing if the trainee comprehended and can implement the training is just as important, as it determines if additional training is needed.

Training Documentation

In a regulator’s eyes, if the training is not documented…it never happened. Document all training efforts. Evidence of training is not only needed for certifications but is required for state and federal agencies. Many cGMP, GACP, Organic and ISO 9001 certifying companies require anywhere from 2years to 6years training documentation retention. Federal agencies take this a step further. For example, OSHA can require up to 30years for training document retention depending on the training topic.

Need Support with Compliance Training?

Set your employees up for success and relay your company expectations to your employees! Training and compliance go hand in hand – – Employee education is a key to compliance success. Educating staff members helps promote consistent quality products and safer work environments, which can protect companies’ liability. Our compliance services work one-on-one with your company to create a realistic Quality Management System that is unique to your company’s production needs.

Contact Allay Consulting to learn more about implementing a quality management system, written documentation, facility compliance, certification readiness, and employee education!